Beanie Babies

carnation · #1 05-07-2003, 12:17 PM

Did any of you guys collect Beanies? My kids did until it got really crazy...people snatching beanies out of each others' hands in the stores, fighting, etc.

Which ones did you like and why? I liked the tie-dyed ones like Coral the Fish, the October ones like Spooky the Ghost, and my razorback, of course!

Anybody have some incredible stories of awful things you saw people do to get Beanies?

UGAGal · #2 05-07-2003, 01:02 PM

I had the, um, pleasure (ha) of working in a Hallmark store during the Beanie Baby craze. Before it hit we had tons of them and thought they were very cute but we didn't sell very many. Then one day we got a phone call from a lady in Maine (all the way across the country from our store) asking if we had Beanie Babies. We asked her which one she wanted and she said it didn't matter, she would buy any and all we had. We thought she was kidding but no, we actually shipped her a box of about 400 of them.

After that it was Beanie Baby hell. We even had a three ring binder with a page for each animal and a waiting list of people who wanted that one. When one came in we would put in on hold for three days and call the customer to come pick it up. The worst problem we had was with people who would show up on the 4th day only to find that we had sold it to someone else because their hold expired. There's nothing worse than seeing professional women like lawyers and bankers (our store was in the financial district) bitching and crying because they couldn't get a $4 tie dyed teddy bear.

SATX*APhi · #3 05-07-2003, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by UGAGal
There's nothing worse than seeing professional women like lawyers and bankers (our store was in the financial district) bitching and crying because they couldn't get a $4 tie dyed teddy bear.

This is just funny. Hehehe,

carnation · #4 05-07-2003, 02:39 PM

Ballerina was really hoping to get that tie-dyed bear Garcia and we walked into a store and there was a roomful of Beanies! Suddenly, this trashy woman ran past us and scooped every Garcia into a trash bag and then started scooping all the Beanies into her bag. I think she got most of the supply--we were rooted to the ground in horror.

She finally got her Garcia months later. It was fun until people started acting crazy but there were times when it got scary!

ToBeSororityGrl · #5 05-07-2003, 03:14 PM

I remember before they "retired" them there was the seal or walrus that I had asked my friend for Christmas and low and behold it was retired before she could get it. How crazy.

I still have all mine but my favorite is the lamb, Chops. I hunted for that one forever

valkyrie · #6 05-07-2003, 03:47 PM

I have probably about 15 to 20 beanie babies. I just got them because I thought they were cute, and never intended to sell them -- I've always had a weakness for cute stuffed animals. My favorite is probably Goatee (not sure if that's how it's spelled) the cute little goat.

AlphaSigOU · #7 05-07-2003, 03:56 PM

For those with longer memories... anyone remember the Cabbage Patch Kids when they first came out in '83 ad '84... what a f*ckin' nightmare!

Between my dropping outta college and waiting for induction in the Air Farce, I worked as a vendor returns clerk at the late great Montgomery Ward's. Day after Thanksgiving sale... each store was given an allotment of about 200 CPKs. People were lining up to buy 'em as early as 5 a.m. and the store didn't open for the sale until 8:00 am. Customers were given numbers based on line order, and were limited to one per person.

As soon as the doors opened, it was a complete clusterf*ck -- lots of screaming, pushing and shouting, even a few fistfights just for a stupid little doll.

Rio_Kohitsuji · #8 05-07-2003, 06:50 PM

Well, I only really try to collect the horse ones. My mom collects the bears, mostly because they're the cutest and they fit really nicely in her smaller Longaberger baskets, hehe

My sister buys me the weird beanies...ya know..like the pig, rat, buzzard (the bird has my bday) etc.

I worked at Fruth Pharmacy when the craze was going on...oh gawd....old ladies and welfare moms waiting outside about to pounce on the shelves filled with those toys..sheesh.

greeklawgirl · #9 05-07-2003, 06:59 PM

The only Beanie Baby I have is Nuts the Squirrel, and she's sitting next to my computer screen right now!

sherbertlemons · #10 05-07-2003, 07:02 PM

My little sister used to colledt them. She still has all hers. My favorite was her little dragon one.

My next door neighbor collected them also, and she did the cutest thing with them. Every Christmas, she would put real brightly colored ornaments on the tree, leaving apace to tuck all her baenies on the branches. It was adorable!

MSKKG · #11 05-07-2003, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by greeklawgirl
The only Beanie Baby I have is Nuts the Squirrel, and she's sitting next to my computer screen right now!

I got Hoot the Owl as a Christmas present from a friend! Hoot is the only Beanie Baby I have, too.

UGAGal · #12 05-08-2003, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by greeklawgirl
The only Beanie Baby I have is Nuts the Squirrel, and she's sitting next to my computer screen right now!

Awww...He's my favorite! I love to poke him in the belly and his "hands" come together like he's clapping. It cracks me up just to look at him.

juniorgrrl · #13 05-08-2003, 01:25 AM

I have a ton of Beanie Babies that are now relegated to the attic. I have a few of them down in my room. Like, my Class of 2002 owl that I got for graduation.

And then there's my bride bear.

About 2 years ago, Boy and I were in a toy store and we saw the bride and groom beanies. He said that if and when we ever got engaged, he'd get those for me.

The night he proposed, when we got in the car to go to dinner, Bride was sitting on my seat and Groom was on his. He keeps Groom at his house and I have Bride out.

nucutiepie · #14 05-08-2003, 01:59 AM

I own exactly one, Halo II - a white bear with gold angel wings and a gold halo, and kind of shimmery fur - that my big got for me, being as we are Pi Phi angels

He sits on the shelf above my bed.

sororitygirl2 · #15 05-08-2003, 02:53 AM

I remember when I got my first Cabbage Patch... my parents waited in mad lines to get them for us kids.

Anyway, on the Beanie topic, does anyone know when they were introduced? I have only had one in my life and it was way before they got popular... I wonder if it was like the first one... ha. Maybe I could find it and sell it for some cash!

Oh, and despite the fact that I don't like Beanie Babies... the bride and groom bear story is so sweet!